Take Me to Church
by WheresUrMoose
Summary: "My Church offers no absolutes, She tells me 'Worship in the bedroom.' The only heaven I'll be sent to, Is when I'm alone with you. I was born sick, But I love it. Command me to be well. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen." / sequel to Twilight Zone. (main characters and pairing: DeanxCrowley)
1. This Means War

I do not own Supernatural or any of its characters. I make no monetary profit off of this story.

Take Me to Church

"_Walk the razor's edge  
>Cut into the madness<br>Question all you trust  
>Buy into the fear<br>I see the man ripping at my soul now  
>I, I know the man<br>I know him all too well…" – This Means War by Avenged Sevenfold_

Chapter 1: This Means War

"Regretting your foolish decision to release my brother before me?" asked Michael, clearly still a little unhappy with Crowley for that. Rain continued to pour down, the king was grateful for it. It hid the weakness he was feeling at the moment, it masked his heartbreak and fear.

"Yes, I am. Are you going to go kick his ass, now?" snapped Crowley, keeping his chin up.

"Why would I bother? You and your little friends halted the apocalypse. I don't want to fight my brother if I don't have to."

"Because he's taken over Heaven and plans to rule everything." Answered Crowley, watching fury flash in the archangel's eyes for a moment.

"And? This your mess, you can clean it up." Retorted Michael, bluffing. He wasn't going to let Lucifer rule over Heaven, that wasn't his place.

"I let you out! He wasn't going to and you know it! So help me clean up this mess and give him the beating you should've dealt out centuries ago!"

"You seem quite desperate, Crowley. Afraid of losing Hell?" asked Michael, watching Crowley's expressions.

"No, someone just has to step up and stop him."

"So it's something else you're afraid of losing. Tell me what it is or you're on your own."

"Why? So you can get your revenge on me by whipping his ass and still harming who I fear for?"

"No so that when I go in there swinging, if I find they deserve to live, I'll get them out so that they don't become a casualty." Replied Michael, looking at Crowley. He had to admit, though he'd never do so out loud, that he actually did look like a king for once. Soaked by the rain with his chest puffed out despite the fear in his eyes and desperation in his heart.

"Dean Winchester. He has Dean." Stated Crowley, voice rougher than usual.

"The arrogant little bastard who denied me? I see. Somehow I'm not surprised. Rumors and whatnot."

"You can't just storm right in. He's got an army on his side. Some of mine, some of yours."

"Then I'll go and recruit those still loyal to me. Heaven is mine. Your side does not interfere with that, understood?"

"I don't want to interfere with that. On that note, then, Hell is mine. It stays mine. Is that understood?" asked Crowley, gaze narrowed at the angel. Knowing that Michael could blast him into a trillion pieces spread across the galaxy in the blink of an eye. Just not caring. Which, lucky for him, earned him some respect from the angel before him.

"Understood. I'll have a message sent to you to inform you of when I plan to strike. Have your minions ready. If his force is hit from both sides, there's nothing he can do." Answered Michael before vanishing, the sound of fluttering wings following him.

Xxxxxx

The elder archangel appeared in the center of Heaven, where factions were loudly arguing about whether to join or fight Lucifer. Every single one of them went silent upon seeing their general, all eyes turning to Michael. He looked around at the leaders of all the factions and nodded once.

"You have a decision to make. All of you. Brothers, sisters, my family. You can side with Lucifer and fight for him, betray our Father, betraying me, betraying the mission that was left to us. Or you can stand in the light, stand by me, fight at my side, honor our Father and our mission. The choice is yours. I cannot make you choose. Just know that regardless of how it will hurt me to harm you, if you decide to fight for Lucifer, I will destroy you because I will win." Stated Michael, voice amplified as he gave his speech, looking around at the leaders. One stepped forward after a moment of silence.

"Michael, he is going to make it paradise for us. There is no need to fight him, we should all join him."

"You fool, do you not remember that day? The day he betrayed us all? You truly think he has changed?"

"You're not listening. Paradise, Michael. Absolute paradise for us, no more fighting."

"There cannot be peace and true paradise if you are not willing to spill blood fighting for what is right. You are either with me or you are against me." Retorted Michael, narrowing his gaze at the angel. The angel shrunk back, clearly not brave enough to challenge the eldest archangel.

"We are with you, Michael." Spoke up one of the garrison leaders.

"As are we." Said another firmly.

"We aren't." spoke the one that had questioned him before vanishing, likely to gather his angels and go straight to Lucifer.

"We stand with you, General." Answered another.

Michael nodded at those who sided with him, merely glaring at the ones who didn't before they left. Once only those who supported him remained, he gazed around the room at them. It was a sizeable amount. More than the amount of angels Lucifer had. He only hoped that most of Hell would side with Crowley, if only just to limit the amount of blood that would have to be shed.

Xxxxxx

Dean Winchester's cries of pure agony rang out and echoed, the pain never once fading or ending. Except as a cruel trick to make him relax before setting another hooked whip onto his skin or flames up the back of his legs. Lucifer hadn't been lying when he said this was going to be worse than his stay in Hell.

"You know what must be the most hopeless for you? The fact that this won't stop by you simply saying you'll torture someone else. Well, actually it can, but I'm going to really put you in some serious pain for that to happen." Stated Lucifer before casually closing his hand in a fist, making Dean's bones twist and snap, putting themselves back together then doing it again.

"Fuck you, fuck you… you fucking… piece of shit…" stammered out Dean breathlessly before dropping his head back and screaming again. His voice not as loud, feeling like his throat was probably bleeding from all his screaming.

"You know, we could work out a little deal like that. You could help me trap Crowley here. I'll take you off of those hooks if you promise me you'll snap him onto them and pick up my whip for me."

"Eat shit…" breathed out Dean, clenching his teeth as more pain shot through his nervous system. He'd already bitten right through his tongue in one place, blood continuously filling his mouth.

"Really, I don't think it would bother him much, Dean. He's a bit of a masochist." Replied Lucifer in a bored tone before standing and picking up a bow, attaching a holy water soaked arrow to it and sending it right into Dean's knee. He earned himself another cry of pain and smiled.

"You honestly think I'd drag him here? Took Alistair's sorry ass thirty years to get me to torture people I didn't even know. You can do whatever you want to me, asshole. There's nothing you can do to get me to torture him." Stated Dean in a growl, that being the only way he could get his voice to be firm or commanding anymore. After having done so much screaming.

Lucifer rolled his eyes and started walking towards Dean to deal out more pain and punishment when he was interrupted. The demon that had interrupted him stayed a decent distance away and muttered to him. Dean wasn't sure what had been said but by the instant lashing out Lucifer did, literally knocking the demon's head off its shoulders, it couldn't have been good news.

"Something not going your way, again?" asked Dean, starting to sincerely consider no longer talking, each time he did hurt worse and worse. An icy glare was turned on him, one that gave him the deepest feeling of fear he'd had so far.

"Don't go anywhere, Dean. We'll be continuing shortly." He stated, then giving a smirk before leaving.

Xxxxxx

A rare silence settled on the pit of despair and eternal punishment. No shouting, no screams of agony, no demon doing their job. The souls just kept in cages in confusion, anticipating the next attack on what remained of their sanity. Every eye below horns was aimed up at a sort of pedestal of brimstone. Like the Pope's balcony.

It was rumored that Lucifer himself once stood up there, instructing the very first in Hell what to do, what this place would be. No current demons knew any that had been there at the time to confirm this but it was not hard to imagine it.

Now, their current king stood up there. A place he hadn't stood since he took over Hell and made the announcement that he was in charge. With all the events that had taken place recently, the factions taking sides like those in Heaven, every creature in Hell knew that whatever Crowley had to say was massive.

"Many of you have not approved of me, I know this. Many of you have plotted against me, either in helping make the apocalypse happen or in assisting Abaddon. Many of you still see me as a glorified salesman." He began, looking out at the masses. He saw some were beginning to leave, likely those on Lucifer's side, so he continued in a firmer tone.

"I may have been just a glorified salesman. Being betrayed by an angel, just barely helping rid the earth of the Leviathans, failing in acquiring all the tablets, even being kept prisoner once that didn't work out. Having nearly _all _of you betray me by going to Abaddon when it appeared as though she held all the cards. But do you know what all of these have done to me? Any of you? Any of you miserable cowards who would go and stand behind our creator who would snap you all in half? Do you know the answer?" his voice louder than it had been and rougher, speaking directly to those trying to leave.

"These events have made me a King. As your King, I command those of you still loyal to be prepared for a war, because that's what's going to happen. Is it likely I won't survive this endeavor? Very much so. I cannot promise you victory but I can promise you that if he wins…he will destroy every last one of you. I can also promise you that if you side with him and I win…that the punishment you will receive will be far beyond what even the cruelest of you could possibly imagine." He continued, fully believing in his own words, something stirring alive in his chest. Those who were leaving were now gone, all that remained were demons appearing on the fence or actually planning to stay on his side.

"I am your King. You will stand with me or I will rip your hooves right out from under you and trample your mangled corpses on the battlefield." He finished in nearly a growl before just walking away. He knew he couldn't make any of them fight, he couldn't make any of them side with him. It was a huge toss-up. He'd find out tomorrow how many were really on his side.

Xxxxxx

Gabriel was wandering around the bunker, clearly curious about all the books and items within. He ignored the looks Sam and Castiel were giving him, believing it was better to spend time entertaining himself instead of sulking like those two were.

"You know we should be brainstorming plans, right?" asked Sam in a tired tone, sounding almost defeated.

"Can't do that 'til CrowCrow gets back, Jolly Green." Retorted Gabriel, picking up a pirate sword that was hanging up, playing with it like a small child.

"What did you just call him?" asked Castiel, his confused expression slightly mirroring Sam's fairly disturbed one.

"Jolly Green. Like the giant from vegetable commercials." Answered Gabriel, barely paying attention as he swung the sword around.

"No, I understand that reference, I meant Crowley." Replied Cas, still very confused. Before anyone could answer, Crowley shut the door behind him and headed down the stairs towards them.

"Ah, speak of the devil and he shall appear." Stated Gabe, turning his head slightly, smiling.

"Yeah, we should really reinvent that phrase or something…" sighed Sam, rubbing his temples.

"On guard, you scurvy knave!" shouted Gabriel, using a very terrible impression of a pirate voice as he playfully thrust the sword at Crowley. The angel earned himself a dirty look.

"Who is letting the tiny one play with pointy things?" asked Crowley, looking over at Cas and Sam.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of brimstone this morning…" mumbled Gabe, rolling his eyes as he turned and put the sword away.

"What's the news, then?" asked Sam, sitting up and watching Crowley drop onto the seat opposite him.

"War." Blurted Crowley, pouring himself some of their scotch and taking a drink, wincing in disgust immediately.

"War? What do you mean war?" asked Castiel, leaning forward, his kitten-like expressions full of concern.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute. You cannot wage a war against Luci all by yourself, Crowley. And you know it." Said Gabriel, stepping over and sitting next to the king.

"I'm not. I'm waging a war against Lucifer with Michael." Answered Crowley, taking another drink despite hating the stuff. There was a dead silence at that as the gravity of his words hit them all.

"Is that a joke? You fucking with us?" Asked Sam with a chuckle one a man standing on a ledge might make as he joked about the fall not being that far down.

Crowley didn't get the chance to answer as Castiel suddenly flung the table across the room and dove forward. The angel grabbed Crowley by the front of his suit and drug him across the room, slamming him against the wall so hard that everything on it fell off. Sam didn't even have time to react so Gabriel reacted for him, waving his hand so the large hunter's chair scooted back and out of the line of fire.

"You son of a bitch! Was it not enough to release one of them!? You had to release them both!? You want to undo all the work we did five years ago?!" shouted Castiel.

Crowley, who now had scotch he disliked all over his face, glared at the angel. In a blink, he swung and hit Cas in the face, giving himself just enough space to shove him back and away. The angel fell on a chair that collapsed beneath him and swiftly returned to his feet. Sam stood up to separate them but Gabe raised a hand.

"Nope, nope." Muttered Gabriel.

"Cas will kill him. We need him." Growled Sam.

"No, he won't. Let them get this out of their systems. I imagine it's been building up since the purgatory thing." Replied Gabe, staying in his seat and watching like it was a boxing match on tv.

Crowley knew that Cas could kill him and actually expected it, so he figured he had nothing left to lose and made a drastic move. That drastic move being to dive at and tackle the angel. Castiel hit the ground hard, feeling bones in his vessel fracture. The angel swiftly rolled them after taking a few punches and pressed his palm to Crowley's forehead, stopping himself before smiting.

"I can't tell if you're desperate or brave." Growled Castiel before standing up, letting go of the king who wiped the spilled scotch off of his face with a grimace.

"You guys done with fight night? We gotta know exactly what's going on so we can plan accordingly." Stated Gabriel, looking perfectly relaxed in his seat. Castiel stayed standing and just folded his arms, being silent for now. Crowley slowly sat up, leaning back against the wall behind him and sighed before speaking.

"I told Michael about the situation. He's gone up to Heaven to rally any who will side with him over Lucifer. I've just been to Hell, rallying any smart enough to side with me over Lucifer. The war starts when Michael says so." Explained Crowley before leaning his head back against the wall.

"Okay. Cassy, you need to go see Mike. You're a valuable soldier, he'll want to have your input." Said Gabriel.

"That…might be a problem." Replied Castiel, Sam looked confused then eyes widened slightly.

"Oh, yeah. Um, last time Michael and Cas met, Cas kinda Molotov cocktailed him…" explained Sam.

"Okay, then Cassy and I will go see him together. In private. I'm still the secret weapon here. This might work out better than we'd thought, guys." Answered Gabriel, standing up, mind already working on strategy. He headed for the door. Castiel hesitated then followed him in silence.

Sam watched them go and then looked over at Crowley with a sigh.

"Your plan of action was to tackle an angel? Literally tackle an angel? Seems more like a Dean move than one of yours." Stated Sam after the door closed, picking up the bottle and walking over. He sat down on the floor next to Crowley, watching the king give him a suspicious look.

"Yeah, well, he grows on you." Retorted Crowley quietly. Sam nodded slowly.

"Yeah, he does."

"Are you going to use the gifts you've gotten for this, Sam? I'll offer you my blood for it if need be."

"No. No, I'm not gonna do things like that. I never needed it before to win, I don't need it this time. When we got here tonight, I had Gabriel cleanse me. Evil strengths or dark powers infect me. I'm not like you or Dean. I can't walk the line and make them work for good. It's too tempting for me to go overboard and lose control." Explained Sam, taking a drink straight from the bottle before offering it to Crowley.

"Well…I guess one of us here has to be an actual good guy, right?" asked Crowley, taking the bottle and taking a drink before grimacing again and sighing.

"It's really good scotch, I don't understand what your problem is."

"It's really terrible scotch. That's my problem. I need to be fucked up on blood to even enjoy it. Speaking of…" trailed off Crowley, reaching into his coat. He pulled out a syringe and sighed when he saw it was empty.

Sam stared at it for a few moments then took it from him and rolled up his own sleeve, not paying attention to the confused look on the king's face.

"What are you doing?" asked Crowley, brows furrowed.

"What's it look like? Listen, when I lost Jess…or my dad. Or Dean. I know it's not a healthy method but drinking helped me cope with the pain. You're not human so alcohol won't affect you the same, just like pain won't affect you the same." Stated Sam, pushing the needle in and starting to fill the syringe.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean you're not human enough to know how to deal with pain properly. It hits you like a freight train and you can't do anything to help it. Even if you know he's going to be okay, you can't get past the what if part." Explained Sam, pulling the needle out with a slight wince and handing the syringe to Crowley.

"You and your brother literally went out of your way to get me clean once and now you're just going to enable me?"

"When this is all over, we can force you clean again. Consider it a peace offering, I guess." Said Sam. Crowley stared at him for a moment then pulled his own sleeve up, pushing the needle in and plunging the blood into his system. His head fell back against the wall with an intoxicated sigh and he blindly lifted the bottle of scotch, taking a long drink before handing it off to Sam.

"Thank you." Muttered Crowley, turning his head and blinking slowly at the large Winchester.

"You're welcome." Replied Sam, taking as long a drink as he could and wincing as he sighed.

Crowley reached out and picked up the scotch glass he'd had that had somehow made its way over to them. He held it out and Sam filled it. They then clinked the glass and bottle together.

"To probably dying in the next 24 hours?" slurred Crowley.

"To likely death or dismemberment." Slurred Sam in response, giving a short chuckle before they both took a drink.

****(And there's that. Finally got the sequel going. Hope you enjoyed that, thank you for reading, please leave me a review on your way out.)** **


	2. Light of Day

I do not own Supernatural or any of its characters. I make no monetary profit off of this story.

Take Me to Church

"_With your courage wearing thin_

_Your enemies are at the gates_

_And their voices screamin shrill_

_Give it up and run away_

_Oh, children lost in the night_

_Try and do right_

_Open your eyes…" – Light Of Day by The Silent Comedy _

Chapter Two: Light of Day

No light but the lamps in the bunker, neither Crowley nor Sam knew exactly what time it was when they both woke up. Leaning against each other like soldiers resting in the jungle. Sam groaned and started rubbing his head, clearly hungover. Crowley slowly got to his feet and stretched with a sigh.

"Bloody hell… How long were we out?" asked Crowley in a groggy tone, fixing his suit. The drugged and drunken sleep had been nice, it had made all of this reality seem like just a bad dream. Now awake and sober, the pain began to settle back in.

"Um, I don't know exactly. I do know that it's morning but probably not light outside just yet." Replied Sam, looking at his watch. The large man ran a hand through his very messy hair and shuffled off towards the kitchen for a hangover cure.

Crowley watched him go, fingers fiddling with his loosened tie for a few moments before he gave up on trying to fix it. Not really caring if he looked like a train wreck or not. The king wandered around the main room and then down the hall towards the bedrooms, stopping when he reached Dean's.

He flicked on the light and wandered into Dean's bedroom, stepping over to the bed and taking a seat with a soft sigh. He partially regretted the deep breath, finding out that the room smelled exactly like him, making the longing that much more fierce. His brows furrowed as he pushed his hand down on the mattress.

"Memory foam? You diva…" he muttered then actually managed a chuckle, his first real, sober one in days.

Crowley turned his attention over to the picture propped against the bedside lamp, a picture of a very young Sam and Dean sitting on the Impala with John. Looking at it made his heart ache. Even then, when he couldn't have been any older then 8 or 9, Dean had that hardened look in his eyes. The look of having seen too much, the look of having been forced to be a parent to his brother when he was still a kid himself, the look of a grown man who has nightmares but no one to talk about them to.

The king looked away then kicked his shoes off before laying back on the bed. He turned his head slightly and closed his eyes, breathing in the lingering scent of Dean again. For the first time that he could honestly remember, he sincerely considered trying to pray.

Xxxxxx

Gabriel fiddled with the warrior weapons on the walls of the once again redone head office. Ignoring Castiel's nervous looks in his direction as they waited silently for their eldest brother to return and find them.

"Are you sure you should be doing that?" whispered Cas, swallowing hard once.

"We're supposed to share our toys." Retorted Gabriel, blinking and instantly turning when the door opened. Michael's head tilted slightly, the doors swiftly shutting behind him as he stepped over towards his brothers.

"I was under the impression you were dead, little brother." Stated Michael, smiling in something like relief. He and Lucifer had always liked Gabriel the most. In fact, that was really all the two had had in common.

"Come on, Mikey. Can't trick the trickster." Replied Gabriel, stepping over and smiling widely at his big brother.

"I am glad you're alright. I assume that if you're here, you have heard about our current situation regarding our brother." Said Michael, smile fading as he slipped into a business mode, pointedly ignoring Castiel.

"Yes, I'm up to speed. He doesn't know I'm alive, Mike. Neither do any of the other angels or any demons aside from Crowley. I figure I can distract him. If anything will catch his attention, it would be me."

"I agree. I'm still going forward with my plans, though, so be watching your back." Stated Michael, then turning to Castiel.

"Brother." Stated Cas, giving a curt nod. Michael looked at him for several moments then stepped over.

"Come here, I have battle plans specifically for you." Answered Michael. Castiel stepped over, as did Gabriel, looking at what Michael had drawn up.

"Why not attack from all angles?" asked Gabriel, brows furrowed.

"Because it will force them back and that's where Crowley's forces will be waiting. It's a trap. They won't have anywhere else to retreat. It is imperative that he knows exactly when to be there and to be ready." Explained Michael, standing up straight.

Xxxxxx

Crowley no longer had his eyes closed, not letting himself sleep. It just seemed wrong to sleep in his lover's bed alone. He had the photograph he'd found, holding it so that he could stare at it. Time was a different thing to him than it was to the boys but he was certain that memories were not. If he'd asked Dean, he was sure the man would remember exactly where they were when this picture was taken. Who took it, where they were going, everything.

He was pulled from his thoughts by Sam clearing his throat. The larger Winchester was leaning against the door's frame, watching him. Crowley looked at him for a moment then flipped the picture so Sam could see what he was gazing at.

"Oh. You know, I vaguely remember when that was taken. Bobby took that picture." Stated Sam, walking over and pulling out the desk chair, sitting in it.

"I had assumed he had. I'm surprised his thumb isn't in the way, though." Crowley teased, earning a chuckle from Sam.

"If he was here right now, I have a feeling he'd swat at you for that."

"It just bothers me. Dean looks so…worn out. So sad. Lonely, in a way." Said Crowley, tone dropping.

"Dean and I didn't have the most fun experience growing up. It was worse for him, though. He was the oldest, he had all the responsibilities."

"He never really had the chance to just be a kid. I understand how that feels. Kinda digs a hole into your heart that doesn't ever really get filled." Replied Crowley softly. Sam's brows furrowed in confusion, head tilting slightly.

"You know…I just realized none of us ever tried to learn about or even ask you about your childhood."

"Why would you want to?"

"I don't know. Maybe just because you're our friend now and you've probably never had anyone to talk to about it. People aren't generally born bad, Crowley. We know you were a drunk, we know you and Gavin didn't get along, we know that at some point you felt low enough to sell your soul. None of that explains why those things happened. Why you did what you did or were who you were." Replied Sam, then turning and pulling more pictures out, realizing he was starting to sound like a psychiatrist and that it was likely going to piss the demon off.

"My childhood was fairly miserable. I never met my father, my mother never spoke of me having any father, it was just a topic we pretended didn't exist." Stated Crowley after a moment of silence, his fingers placing the picture flat on his chest. Sam turned to look at him again, absently holding a small stack of photographs.

"So you were raised by your mother."

"Raised is a very loose term for how she parented me."

"She was abusive?" asked Sam in a gentle tone.

"In more ways than one. I still loved her, Sam, she was my mother. You can't just…not have love for your parent, even if they were cruel to you."

"I understand that." Sam stated quietly, thinking of Dean and John, about how all the fights didn't matter.

"She was a witch, a natural witch. Dark magic. The kind you see in horror movies where witches and warlocks are summoning demons and doing black masses and such. That hardly exists nowadays, was even rare back then, but they were the kind you feared. I wasn't born a natural. I get the feeling she never wanted me even if I had been but I think the reason she kept me was the hope that I'd show natural abilities soon."

"But you didn't. Or you'd be a warlock by now, not a demon."

"Basically. I was very smart, very bright boy. I learned quickly but it's not the same power when you're not a natural. It wasn't good enough for her. By the time I was 6, she quit pretending she was happy to be a mother or happy she'd had me. She drank, shouted at me, tried to make me feel guilty for existing, sometimes tossed me around when she was really drunk. I distinctly remember her trying to manipulate me into going hunting alone if she knew a snow storm was coming. The dog, my dog, always dragged me back before we'd freeze out there. Scotland's very, very cold in the winter. This was back when we had rough cloth tunics and you had to kill animals for fur to keep warm, you see. No decent footwear, either." Explained Crowley, fingers drumming on his chest briefly, not looking at Sam. He was unaware of the sympathetic gaze the hunter was showing him and probably wouldn't have continued if he saw it.

"Jesus…" muttered Sam at the last part, at hearing she basically tried to have him get lost or freeze.

"Hell, she even tried to sell me to a farmer for 3 pigs once. Three! I was a bright boy, I could read and write, a decent hunter, good worker, I could even juggle. I was worth more than 3 pigs." Sighed Crowley, crossing his legs at the ankles.

"What did she need 3 pigs for that badly?"

"I don't know. Craving bacon? No good reason. One night when I was 8, she told me she'd be right back, left, and I never saw her again. _I'll be back in a flash_, she'd said. I assume someone killed her eventually."

"You took care of yourself from 8 years old and on?..." blurted Sam, eyes widened.

"Basically, yeah. That was a very rough winter to finish out but I had my dog. Eventually my dog died, though. At one point I went and worked for a farmer. Got to sleep in a barn, got fed, made my own clothes. Long as I worked."

"That had to have been at least a bit of a relief, though."

"Not really. Let's just say I was only 10 and that farmer was a perverted prick with a liking for young boys. When it got to the point that I was scared to sleep anywhere he'd find me, I left. Ran off. Went back to what I was doing with my dog until I got a job as a tailor as a young man." Replied Crowley, slowly sitting up and placing his feet on the floor again with a sigh. He set the picture down where he'd found it.

"I'm sorry." Stated Sam quietly. Crowley waved a hand at him before pulling his shoes back on.

"It was a very long time ago. Centuries ago. In an old life. That boy, even that drunken man…they're not who I am anymore. That boy was drowned by liquor and that man was torn apart by hellhounds." Said Crowley, lifting his head to look at Sam.

"I've got more pictures here. If you wanted to look at them." Replied Sam, again pitying the demon in front of him but not addressing it as he set the pictures down and stood up.

"I'll make a point to do that with Dean when we bring him back." Stated Crowley, standing up as well. He didn't smile, he didn't really believe they'd succeed the way they were hoping to. He didn't believe he was going to survive this, even if Dean did. Sam opened his mouth to speak but didn't get the chance as they heard footsteps just before Castiel stopped at the doorway.

"I have news from Michael. Gabriel is still with him. He has instructions for where you are to place your forces." Stated Cas. Crowley nodded and headed out, following Cas to the main part of the bunker.

Sam stayed behind for a moment, fingers moving the photographs around until he saw one of Dean holding him when he was a baby. One of the very few pictures they still had from before their mother was murdered. Sam picked up the photograph and stuck it in the chest pocket of his shirt, patting it as he headed out of the room.

"I guess it's my turn to save you from a fire." He muttered, stepping out to the main room where Crowley and Castiel were already talking. It was all business between the angel and demon but, fortunately, it did seem they had gotten their anger towards each other out of their systems the night before.

"You just have to have enough of a force or appear threatening enough that it will make them halt when they try to retreat. Just long enough for them to be boxed in. That is how this battle will be won." Finished Castiel, giving the king a firm nod. Crowley cleared his throat and thought for a moment.

"I'm not positive I'll have a big enough force, to be honest. The only beasts in Hell that I know are loyal to me above all are the hounds. Even hounds are difficult for angels to beat, even more so for demons. It should be enough to stall them." Answered Crowley, not adding that he was sure he and the hounds would be slaughtered even if they did manage to stall.

"We don't have much time before it begins." Added Cas, looking over at Sam.

"Where do I go, then?" asked Sam, folding his arms.

"You'll be with Gabriel. He's going to meet you here just before it begins." Stated Cas, handing Sam a piece of paper with a location scribbled on it.

"Alright. I'll get going." Replied Sam, yanking the Impala's keys from his pocket and heading out. The angel and demon followed him to the exit, stepping out after him. After Sam locked the door, he turned to find they had both left. Taking a deep breath, he subconsciously patted his chest pocket where that picture sat as he got into the car and it snarled to life.

Xxxxxx

Hell was just as silent as the last time Crowley had stepped out onto that brimstone peak. Except this time it was because there were hardly any demons still in it. Lucifer had clearly gone over his head and lifted control so that the demons could go aid him easily if they wished. It wasn't hard, Crowley knew Lucifer had more power here than he did. At least the souls were still trapped, that was the only silver lining he saw.

"I assume those of you that are still here are with me…" he stated, voice amplified, looking out at the couple dozen demons and few hundred hellhounds. None attempted to flee, apparently they were going to stand with him. In all honesty, it was more than he expected.

"I don't have a rousing battle cry for you, I don't have an encouraging speech. What I do know is that this is our battle of the apocalypse. Not earth's, ours. Heaven's, too. The Archangel Michael and his forces are our allies, the only angels you are to engage with are the ones on Lucifer's side. Michael is there to defeat Lucifer, plain and simple. That's all he is concerned about. We are going there to help save Dean Winchester. If you are not okay with that, walk. If you are going to turn on us in battle, walk. Just hope I don't catch you when this is over." He added in a threatening tone, not even aware of how frightening he sounded. His emotions boiling over in a tidal wave.

The creatures beneath him stayed silent and none moved. It appeared that there were some in Hell that were loyal to him. He vaguely realized that the majority of the demons were crossroads demons, not aware that they were loyal to him because they knew from him running the crossroads that he was the leader they needed.

"Smaller forces have won bigger battles. _We_ are what the world is frightened of. This world, our kingdom is what strikes terror in even the hearts of angels. Now is when we get to show our enemies and the traitors that left us exactly why they should forever fear us. If you're with me, then follow me." He stated, turning to head out of Hell.

Xxxxxx

Dean watched in horror and agony as the fiftieth Sam he'd seen was ripped apart. He knew he was hallucinating, he knew Lucifer was doing this to mess with his head, but that didn't make it any less of torture. He clenched his eyes closed and grit his teeth, trying to pretend he was somewhere else.

"Aren't you excited, Dean?" asked Lucifer, a smirk having been on his face since he returned, which made the knight very uneasy. Dean slowly opened his eyes to see Lucifer relaxing on a stone chair, watching him dangle from the chains and meat hooks.

"Excited for what? Your next bowel movement?" snapped Dean, breathless and voice hardly sounding like his own.

"You know I've never understood your very bland, juvenile sense of humor. Anyway, you didn't answer my question. Are you excited?" asked Lucifer, using a zippo to light individual Bible pages as he pulled them free from the copy on his lap.

"You didn't answer mine, asshat. Excited for what?"

"For what's about to happen. It's very exciting, Dean. Even more so than the apocalypse was." Answered Lucifer, tossing the burning pages aside and lighting some more.

"What are you talking about? What's about to happen?" asked Dean, finding his eyes felt very heavy, his entire being absolutely exhausted. Before Lucifer could answer him, lightening snapped in the sky, no thunder following it.

They both stared up, Lucifer smiling as he tossed the Bible aside and stood up fully. While staring upward, their attention was turned downward. The ground beginning to shake, but not like an earthquake. More like something massive was stomping towards them. Dean stared down and then at Lucifer, he'd heard that before, he knew exactly what that was. However, he wasn't sure if he was relieved or terrified over what was about to happen.

"And it begins…" stated Lucifer, grinning at Dean before walking out of sight to meet up with his forces.

****(whew…here we go. Thank you for reading, please leave me a review on your way out.)** **


	3. Awake O'Sleeper

I do not own Supernatural or any of its characters. I make no monetary profit off of this story.

Take Me to Church

"_There are chains upon your children, Lord_

_Chains upon your children_

_There are chains upon your children_

_They're in chains_

_Do you hear the Lion roar? _

_Awake O' Sleeper_

_Stand with me, we'll fight the war!..." – Awake O' Sleeper by The Brothers Bright_

Chapter 3: Awake O' Sleeper

Tugging on the chains and hooks in him, teeth grit against the pain, Dean watched the battle begin. Light crashing down then flashing, shouts, angel blades clashing out where Lucifer had walked to. Dean cried out in agony as he tried to desperately pull off of the massive meat hooks. It simply didn't work.

"In all honesty, you're probably safer up there." Stated Lucifer as he returned, watching Dean with amusement.

"What the fuck is going on?" stammered out Dean in a breathless tone.

"Well, it seems Heaven has decided to move against me and attack. Rumor has it that Michael is leading the army." Replied Lucifer, grinning before turning to watch the battle. All the flashing lights and whatnot would make humans in the distance believe they had an out of season lightning storm.

One angel made it through the lines and was charging at them. Suddenly, he seemed to realize exactly who he was charging towards and stopped in fear. Lucifer simply smiled at him and snapped his fingers, making the angelic soldier explode.

Xxxxxx

The archangel Michael was viewing the battle from the opposite side, behind his forces. Directly across from his sinful brother. Castiel wasn't far from him, watching to see the tone and shift, waiting for the perfect moment to charge in. He could see where Dean was strung up from where he was standing.

To see the elder Winchester in that position was giving the angel flashbacks of saving him in Hell. He was positive it wasn't coincidence. That Lucifer had planned to force Dean back into that state of mind.

He was also fairly certain it wasn't a coincidence that he was going to be saving Dean from that position again. Things usually happened for a reason.

"Send your unit in, Castiel." Ordered Michael, seeing an opening. The pure warrior knowing this was the precise moment to move.

Cas nodded at his big brother and sent his unit into battle, cutting off the side where Lucifer's demons were starting to mix with his angels.

Xxxxxx

Lucifer stepped over towards Dean and leaned against a mostly destroyed stone wall, glancing at the Winchester as well as watching the battle. One of the angels loyal to him was standing nearby, waiting for orders. He watched Michael order the new force in and smiled.

"Mm. Big brother was always too eager. He's so intent upon being on the offensive that he leaves himself wide open with no defensive strategy." Stated Lucifer, he glanced at Dean.

"Best defense is a good offense." Muttered Dean, watching the battle, knowing this was his only chance to get free.

"Not against me." Stated Lucifer then waving the angel over.

"Yes, sir?"

"Send in the elder demons and our last unit of angels. Trap Michael's forces in, sandwich them between ours, give them no route of escape. Kill all of them. Every enemy dies except for four. I kill Michael, Sam Winchester is brought to me, as are Castiel and Crowley. I want those four alive. Go." Ordered Lucifer, clapping the angel on the back. The angel nodded and headed out to lead those units into the fray.

"You're really gonna kill your own brother?" asked Dean, voice rough, sinking enough to try and reason with the devil.

"He has stabbed me in the back far too many times without a second thought. Yes, I'm really going to kill him." Stated Lucifer, returning his gaze to the battle. He only had one unit left which was all demons. He was saving them for what he was sure was going to happen soon.

Xxxxxx

One of Michael's captains in the battle was making ground, moving through, cutting down all enemies in his path. He had to. Gaining the upper hand was a weight that rested purely on his shoulders.

He was cutting a path right through enemy lines and came up behind Lucifer. He recognized the power if not the beast himself. Without wasting a moment, he moved his blade to mortally wound the devil.

His brows furrowed in utter confusion as the blade seems to pass through air. The hologram of Lucifer turns and grins at the angel before a Molotov of holy fire landed on the angel's chest, the hologram disappearing. He burst into flames and his unit stalled, staring, distracted long enough to be trapped in and a slaughter to begin.

Lucifer had moved right to the edge of his lines so that he could throw the cocktail and now laughed, eyeing Michael and Castiel across the battlefield.

"I take it back, Castiel! I like that trick!" he called so that they could hear before he retreated back into the ruin of a church.

Xxxxxx

Michael glared at Lucifer as he watched his brother completely throw a wrench in his plans.

"Damn him." Growled Michael, watching his forces be trapped and massacred.

"We don't have any more to send in, Michael." Stated Castiel, watching them fall as well.

"Quiet." Retorted Michael, in thought, making another plan.

"Should I tell Crowley to move in?"

"No. They have to be retreating already for that to work."

"Then I'm going in." stated Castiel, moving from the general's side.

"No! I did not give you orders to move yet!" snapped Michael, knowing he'd need Castiel for whatever plan he came up with.

Cas ignored Michael, stepping right into the fray when they weren't expecting him, smiting demons at the left and cutting through traitorous angels at the right. Even if they were going to lose the battle, he wasn't going to just stop fighting or wait for an answer. They didn't have time to come up with something else. Dean didn't have time for them to come up with something else and Cas was going to die before allowing his dearest friend to waste away at Lucifer's hands.

Xxxxxx

Gabriel and Sam were watching from the side of the battlefield, hidden in the woods next to the ruins of the church. Both of them more and more anxious by the second. Even Sam could see that things weren't going well.

"Okay, I think it's time I make a move." Muttered Gabriel, watching Lucifer's surroundings for an easy entrance.

"Alright, I can take out the demon guarding the back of the line by-" started Sam, the angel cut him off.

"Nope. You're gonna stay right here in your natural habit of the forest." Replied Gabriel, pulling his angel blade out. Sam blinked at him, brows furrowing in confusion.

"What? Why? What the hell am I supposed to do back here, Gabriel? Maybe you all forgot but that's _my_ brother on the chopping block." Snapped Sam.

"Yeah, and what good are you gonna be to him if Lucifer makes you his pet again? You know he's got hold over you more than anyone else. It's not worth the risk yet, Sam. You diving in is a last, desperate move. We're not at that point of desperation yet." Retorted Gabriel before vanishing from the hunter's side.

The angel reappeared not far from Lucifer, standing between him and Dean. He tried briefly to use his powers to free Dean but it didn't work, the chains would have to be manually taken away. Gabriel considered tricking his brother or simply trying to fight his brother but he knew how that had worked out last time.

"Lucifer!" snapped Gabriel, getting his big brother's attention.

"You…" started Lucifer as he turned and saw the little angel, completely floored for a brief moment. Stunned to see him yet relieved to know he was alive, despite everything.

"Surprise, bitch. I bet you thought you'd seen the last of me." Gabriel grinned at his brother, no blade in his hand, his way of showing he wasn't here to fight.

"You knew what I was going to do, didn't you? Still, I'd love to know how you pulled off such a convincing death." Replied Lucifer, apparently regaining his confidence.

"You know I've always been a drama queen. That's not what we should be talking about though, is it, bro?"

"You would prefer to talk about the battle at hand? Okay."

"You don't have to do this, Lucifer. We are family. It's time we all stopped tearing at each other's throats and remembered that."

"Families have to fight sometimes, Gabriel."

"Right, but not all the damn time! Do you even really want to fight? Or is it just your pride?"

"You know I don't want to fight but what he did-" began Lucifer, Gabriel cut him off, taking a step towards him.

"Oh, would you stop it?! We're not fledglings anymore. We don't get to use the excuse of 'He started it'. You think Michael wants to fight you? He raised you, he loves you."

"And he betrayed me!" roared Lucifer, his calm exterior cracking.

"So!? Shit happens! Life's hard! You get over it and take care of the people you love! I'm not here to fight you. You're my brother. You raised me, Lucifer. You taught me how to fly, you taught me everything. I can't stand by and watch you and Michael rip each other to pieces. I can't do it. I'll stand right between you two if I have to." Replied Gabriel, voice cracking a little bit. His golden eyes pleading with his brother to end this.

"I don't deserve all of this hatred, Gabriel…I'm so tired of it all. I made one decision, so long ago, and that has branded me as sinister for eternity. You all claim to be following Father's orders, to be better than me, to be righteous. Out of all of you, out of all of these loyal humans, _who has once prayed for me?!_" Lucifer bit out through grit teeth, masking pain with his fury.

"You can't fix this by killing the whole family, Luci. You can't fix this by being spiteful. You can take my hand, though. Stop all of this fighting. Take a step in the right direction."

"You don't understand, Gabriel. Everything happens for a reason. Father made each and every one of us. Father does _not _make mistakes. He made me the way I am, He wanted there to be a devil. He made the decision to damn me before I'd even learned how to fly. There is no changing that. I'm not going to be his pawn and hide away. I'm coming home. He and none of you will keep me from my home any longer."

"Then come home. But this? This death and destruction and murder? This isn't the way home, Lucifer! You can come home without harming the Winchesters. You can come home without fighting Mike. You can come home without exacting your vengeance on Crowley. Dammit, brother, I will stand right at your side all the way up those stairs. Just stop this, please." Pleaded Gabriel, taking another step towards his brother, his heart aching. He had no cards left to play, however Lucifer responded now would seal their fates.

Lucifer stared at Gabriel, almost seeing the tiny fledgling that he'd loved so much. That had looked up to him and spent almost every moment with him. The one brother he considered his own heart and soul.

"No. Family or not. You're not allowed to break my heart and then tell me to stand down. I'm sorry, brother. I can't." stated Lucifer in nearly a whisper but a clear firmness in his tone. Gabriel felt his heart sink, gaze still pleading but saying nothing else.

Xxxxxx

Just as Lucifer made his final decision speaking with Gabriel, Crowley sent in his hounds and demons. He wasn't waiting any longer. Michael was losing on the battlefield, that much he could see. He wasn't going to lose Dean just because the angels couldn't get their shit together.

This was never about winning a battle to him, this was about getting Dean back. No matter the cost. He didn't care anymore, all that mattered was Dean.

The black smoke dove through the ruins of the church, past the two archangels and right into the fight. The demons caught Lucifer's forces off guard and gave Michael's forces some room to breathe and possibly gain the upper hand again.

Just when the devil's forces had adjusted to the new demons in the fight, the hounds dove in, starting to tear apart everyone they could reach. Blood began to spill more rapidly, staining the grass and fertilizing the ground. Michael saw this and growled in annoyance that Crowley hadn't followed the plan. He considered this his only opening, however, and headed into the fray himself.

It wasn't remotely difficult for Michael to make his way through the lines, he was the ultimate soldier, after all. Slicing and smiting whatever enemy approached him, basically cutting a dividing line through the battlefield.

A handful of Crowley's hellhounds went directly for Dean, tugging and clawing at the chains holding him up. Trying desperately to get him down by order of their King. They actually succeed with the chains that were attached to his legs, which, unfortunately, made the meat hooks dig deeper into Dean as they held him up. The knight cried out in pain, not having the strength to try and pull himself off of them.

Lucifer saw the hounds and heaved a sigh before pulling the lighter from his pocket as he shoved Gabriel towards Michael, the eldest angel having just reached the ruins. Before they could do anything, Lucifer dropped the lit lighter, a large circle of holy fire igniting, trapping the other two archangels within the flames.

"Be with you two in a moment." Stated Lucifer, then turning and walking towards Dean. One hound whimpered before diving at the devil and was rewarded with Lucifer snapping its neck. The others attacked and were ripped apart one by one, only getting a few scratches and bites in before their bodies and blood covered the ground by Dean.

Xxxxxx

Castiel had seen Michael charge forward when the other demons joined the fight and tried to call out to him, tried to stop him. He wasn't heard over the battle cries and screams of agony during the fight.

He watched in horror as the only two angels strong enough to take Lucifer on were trapped within holy fire, completely at his mercy. He was almost distracted long enough to be taken down by a couple of enemy angels, luckily turning just in time to slice one's throat and slam his blade into the chest of the other one.

Cas didn't waste any time, fighting as quickly and viciously as he could. He had to get to Michael and Gabriel. He had to free them or they were all going to die at the devil's hands. Every single one of them.

Xxxxxx

Sam watched as Gabriel stepped bravely to the devil and tried to plead with him. He actually believed it had worked for a few moments. For a brief, very brief moment in time, his heart skipped a few beats. He truly thought Gabriel had done the impossible and made Satan himself see sense. Those thoughts were quickly crushed when he watched what he assumed where hounds trying to free Dean and be massacred right after Michael and Gabriel were trapped.

"Oh, no…no." muttered Sam, staring into the heat of the battle to try and see Castiel. Past the black smoke flying around and the random bursts of blinding light from dying angels, he couldn't tell if Cas was even still alive.

Looking in the opposite direction, where the extra demons and the hounds had come from, he stared to try and find Crowley. He knew the King was over there somewhere but he couldn't see him, it was too dark wherever he was.

He felt his stomach twisting and nearly keeled over to puke. Michael and Gabriel were trapped and unless it rained or someone had a fire hose, they weren't going to be freed anytime soon. Dean was now dangling by meat hooks in his back and was probably riding the border between consciousness and unconsciousness at this point. He couldn't even tell if Castiel was alive since he couldn't see him anywhere. He had no idea whose forces were winning anymore as the battlefield was just a mix of black smoke and bright lights. He knew Crowley was still alive but had no idea where he was or if he had anymore forces to throw in, anymore cards to play.

"Fuck it." Blurted Sam. He'd beaten the devil before, he could damn well do it again. He had to. Dean's life depended on it.

The large hunter stood from where he was and moved to climb down the small hill and head into the ruins. A hand suddenly shot out from the side and settled on his chest, pushing him back. Sam stumbled back and landed on his ass, brows furrowing and staring at who'd done that.

"Stay right here, Sam." Said a voice he hadn't heard in several years. He stared at the man, too shocked to even get up or question him.

Xxxxxx

Crowley smoothed the fur atop the head of his personal hellhound, Juliet. The only one left at his side right now. He took a deep breath and then crouched in front of the hound, petting her.

"You don't worry about me, alright? You just get Dean out of there and take him to Sam." He muttered softly.

The hound whimpered and whined in return, sensing something was wrong and not liking this at all.

"I mean it. You've been a good pup but Papa's going to have to take care of this himself. Do what I say just one last time, okay?" he leaned in and kissed its head then pat it one last time before walking to the ruins.

He stepped in just behind where Dean was, heart being tugged at the sight of him in so much pain. He saw Lucifer approaching the holy fire that was currently holding the other two archangels and took a deep breath, cursing ever having feelings.

"I believe I'm the one you'd really like to see, Lucifer." Stated Crowley, stepping over to stand right next to where Dean was chained up. He felt his lover's eyes on him but couldn't bear to look over at him, knowing Dean knew exactly what he was doing.

"Crowley…I had wondered when the little King would come out of hiding." Stated Lucifer, turning to face him with a slight grin and tilting his head.

"Enough is enough. You don't really want to hurt Michael or Gabriel. You don't even really want to hurt Dean, do you? No. It's me you want, isn't it? I am the bastard son who sold you out. The bastard son who thwarted your plans. Who stole your kingdom. Am I right?" asked Crowley, chin raised. He didn't even have to look at Dean to know the knight was silently pleading with him to not do this.

"Oh, I have scores to settle with my brothers. You really think I'm going to let them go? Over you? You sad, little demon."

"Maybe you won't let your brothers go, that's fine. No offense to them, but I'm not here for them."

"Yes, you're here for your boyfriend." Chuckled Lucifer, glancing at Dean.

"You're damn right I am." Stated Crowley in what was nearly a growl.

"You're sure I want you more than I want him?"

"Positive. So…do we have a deal? You let him go, for good. And I'm yours. Your pet." Replied Crowley, swallowing down his own fear.

"No… stop it." Stammered Dean in a gruff, tired, but desperate voice.

"Quiet, Dean. Grown-ups are negotiating." Replied Crowley in a soft tone.

"Crowley, please don't…please…" argued Dean, trying in vain to free himself.

"You always were a great salesman. Yes, we have a deal." Stated Lucifer, ignoring Dean, smirking at the pained expression on Crowley's face from Dean's protests. Crowley nodded at him and swallowed hard.

"So free him. I want to see him let loose first." Said Crowley in a firm tone, nodding at Dean.

Lucifer waved his hands and the chains and meat hooks vanished, a bloodied Dean dropping onto the ground with a thud. Crowley gave Lucifer a wary look but kept his chin up as he turned and walked over to where Dean was, waving his hellhound to him. He crouched down next to the knight.

"Stop…" stammered out Dean, grabbing at the King's jacket then at his hand.

"Juliet's going to take you to Sam. You're okay." Said Crowley in almost a whisper, giving Dean's hand a squeeze once.

"Please, Crowley…" begged the knight, tightly gripping Crowley's jacket. Crowley's hand cupped the side of Dean's face and he leaned in so only he could hear his words.

"This has been a long time coming for me, Dean. You gave me something I've never had and I'm forever grateful for that. But I don't get a happy ending. I love you. Please remember me." Whispered Crowley, a stray tear crawling down his face. He kissed Dean's forehead then pried the knight's hands from his coat, standing up and turning to face Lucifer as Juliet padded over and started gently nudging Dean to move.

"Alright. You win." Stated Crowley, eyes on the devil.

"I always do. In the end." Replied Lucifer with a smirk.

****(Okay, so, I may have actually been crying writing the end of this chapter. I really hope you guys like it and that I finally get some reviews on this story. Thanks for reading. Next chapter will be up as soon as I can get it done.)** **


	4. Bartholomew

I do not own Supernatural or any of its characters. I make no monetary profit off of this story.

**0-Mizuki-0: **I'm glad you liked it. Yeah, I was in tears in the end with Crowley's "last words" to Dean. And holy fuck, I could have sworn I had tagged characters and pairings. Apparently I hadn't. Thank you for pointing that out to me. I wouldn't have noticed if you hadn't said anything. Thanks for your review, I look forward to the next.

**Guest: **Thank you very much, I was worried about that battle possibly not being written out very well. I'm definitely keeping the story coming. Thanks for your review, I look forward to the next.

Take Me to Church

"_Oh my God_

_Please help me _

_Waist deep in the river_

_Can you hear my plea? _

_He says son you come like a beggar in the streets_

_You might make it, boy, but by the skin of your teeth…" – Bartholomew by The Silent Comedy_

Chapter 4: Bartholomew

Dean tugged and yanked with the little strength he had left, trying to pull away from Juliet as she dragged him towards safety.

"No! Goddammit! No!" he shouted in a hoarse voice, attempting to dig his feet into the ground. No one looked around at him. Especially Crowley. The king knew there was no way he would be able to look at the expression on Dean's face, he wouldn't be able to go through with it if he did.

The knight grabbed part of a crumbling stone wall and gripped it as tight as he could, stilling the hound's movements.

"Crowley! Don't fucking do this! Listen to me! Sam?!" screamed Dean, looking around for his brother for help. He tried to pull away completely but the hound was too strong for him and easily overpowered his weakened body.

Lucifer shot Dean a smirk then looked at Crowley, grabbing the front of the King's suit and yanking him over towards one of the walls.

"You should've listened to your boyfriend. Do you even know what I have planned for you?" asked Lucifer, head tilting slightly.

"Dry anal?" snapped Crowley, relying on his usually sassy attitude to remain strong in his decision. Breath was knocked from his lungs as the devil grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the stone wall, lifting him up slightly.

"I'm flattered. But no, that would be too nice of me. Do you remember your time on the racks, Crowley? Your soul being torn to ribbons, piece by piece? All that agony that nothing in this world could ever match?" asked Lucifer, almost directly in the king's face. He lifted him off the ground a little, still holding him by the throat.

"Not really." Grunted out Crowley in a strained tone, lying. He remembered every single second. From the moment the hounds began tearing at him to the very moment he took the scalpel from Alistair and began torturing other souls. The stench, the agony, the heat, the constant feeling of pure terror. Nothing could ever make him forget it.

"I almost admire your bravery, Crowley. Almost. See, none of that is going to even come close to compare-" began Lucifer before he was cut off by the man who had just walked into the middle of the church ruins. Sudden silence enveloped the entire area, the battle halting completely.

"Lucifer, that is enough." Stated Chuck, looking directly at his rebellious son. Lucifer froze and several expressions passed across his vessel's face in quick succession.

"You…" spat out Lucifer without turning, his jaw clenching in fury.

"Put him down or I will make you put him down." Replied Chuck in a firm tone.

Lucifer's grip on Crowley's throat loosened and then he let go completely, the king dropping to the ground where he stared in absolute awe. The devil turned, glaring at his father.

"This is what brings you home?! After everything, this is what makes you come home? Why? To punish me again?" snapped Lucifer, watching Chuck wave his hand and free the other two archangels from their holy fire trap.

"Enough is enough. This has gone too far. All of it. I can't let you do this, I can't let more die because of one of your tantrums, Lucifer."

"One of my tantrums?! You made me this way! You wanted me to rebel against you! You wanted me to be damned for eternity! I'm just supposed to lay down and accept that?! I'm not supposed to fight back!?"

"You have never learned. After all these centuries, you have still not learned."

"Learned what? That was screwed from the very start?"

"No, Lucifer. You haven't learned why you were cast out. You still have not figured out what you did wrong. You justify it all and raise your chin in pure pride."

"For loving you too much? You're my father."

"These humans…they are everything. They are my greatest creation. You angels were supposed to consider yourselves their elder siblings, their protectors. You are living in the past, Lucifer. This is not about you fighting against me in Heaven, this is not about you corrupting the humans. Your corruption actually gave the chance for them to be stronger than they already were." Explained Chuck, glancing over at the others from the battle crowding one of the entrances.

"Your greatest creation? Your greatest creation fuels Hell, father, not me. Your greatest creation spills more blood than any angel ever has. Dean Winchester, the righteous man, willingly took on the Mark of Cain and became the most deadly demon to walk the earth. The King of Hell was once of your so called greatest creations." Argued Lucifer, taking a few steps towards Chuck.

"Yet…look at what they've done. What they've accomplished. The righteous man might be a demon but that doesn't mean he's no longer righteous. The king of Hell, for all his faults and sins, has done more for saving humanity than most of your brothers and sisters, Lucifer. That's how I know things have gone too far. When the demons are protecting people, not the angels."

"During all of this, you've just sat and watched? You watched Raphael and Michael tear up Heaven? You watched Castiel let those Leviathans in? You let Metatron cast out all the other angels?"

"Everything happens for a reason. I always knew when I would return. Do you know why I stayed away? Even during all of that?"

"Because you're a selfish dick?" snapped Lucifer, pure coldness in his blue eyes.

"Because two humans named Sam and Dean Winchester were watching over my creations. Two humans modeled after my two eldest, most beloved sons. I knew everything would be okay. But it's time for them to be able to rest, it's time for me to remind you all why you're here."

"So you're going to throw me back in the pit?"

"No. You and Michael are returning to Heaven. I will deal with both of you later." Stated Chuck, snapping his fingers once, the two archangels vanishing up to holding cells in Heaven.

"Dad?..." asked Gabriel very quietly, tentatively stepping towards Chuck who gave him a wide smile.

"I'm proud of you, Gabriel. I'd ask you to return to Heaven but I know you're much happier down here. So I want you to look after Sam. Be the angel on his shoulder." Said Chuck, still smiling.

Sam's head shot up at this, brows furrowing. He'd made his way over to Dean and Juliet to shield his brother in case Lucifer lashed out. He stared at Chuck for a few moments then put his arm under Dean, helping his big brother to his feet.

"I think I can keep an eye on the Moose." Replied Gabriel, smiling back at his father and glancing over at Sam.

Castiel had made his way through the crowd of bleeding demons and angels at this point, reaching the ruins and staring at his father. All the puzzle pieces clicked into place for him now. This explained everything he'd been wondering about Chuck over the past few years. As he reached the ruined church, Chuck looked over at him.

"Castiel. It's good to see you again." Greeted Chuck, still smiling. The mood very much lifted with Lucifer and Michael now upstairs.

"Yes, you, too, Chu-…father." Corrected Cas, clearing his throat, bloodsplatter covering his suit and face.

"You're a natural leader, Castiel. I want you to tend to the wounded angels, help them all return to Heaven. Consider yourself the General, now, until Michael has been fully dealt with."

"Yes, father." Nodded Castiel, staring for a few more moments before turning and starting to gather the injured angels. Whether they'd fought on Lucifer or Michael's side.

Chuck then looked over at the Winchesters, taking a deep breath and letting out a sigh as he stepped over to them. He took in the expressions on their faces and chuckled for a moment.

"You guys know I'm still just your friend, right?" asked Chuck.

"You're… you're freaking God, Chuck?" stammered out Dean gruffly, blinking rapidly for a moment.

"I like the name Chuck better, though. Now…about that mark…"

"Lucifer took it away. Which is for the better." Answered Dean.

"No, actually. You need to have it. You were destined to have it." Answered Chuck, reaching and touching Dean's forearm, returning the Mark of Cain.

"What… why?" blurted Sam, brows furrowed, holding Dean a little tighter in response.

"Because he's the righteous man. He can control it. Even if he sometimes thinks he forgot how. Just because you're a demon doesn't mean you're the bad guy, Dean. It just means you can be wrapped in the dark and still produce light. Even if that light is hellfire." Stated Chuck, touching Dean's forehead and healing all his wounds. The knight immediately stood on his own again, straightening up as he stared at Chuck.

"Chuck, it's…it's too strong, I don't…" stammered Dean, absentmindedly running his thumb over the mark. Chuck responded by setting his hand on Dean's chest, over his heart.

"This. This is where your strength is, Dean. You'll be okay." Chuck patted Dean's chest and smiled at Sam before turning to look at Crowley, slowly walking towards him.

"Let me guess, you're upset with me, too?" grumbled Crowley, staggering as he got to his feet.

"I'm glad someone's running Hell that finally understands what it's supposed to be." Stated Chuck, ignoring the king's greeting.

"What?" blurted Crowley, blinking rapidly at him, absently rubbing his neck.

"Hell. It has a purpose. You've brought it back to what it was always supposed to be. I'm glad."

"Oh, well, wonderful." Replied Crowley in a sarcastic tone.

"I know you're bitter. You've spent a lot of your life asking me why you were ever born, why you went through such pain. You've spent even more of your life cursing me for your pain. As a human and as a demon." Stated Chuck in a soft tone so that no one else would hear them.

"I have every damn right to be bitter…" growled Crowley, narrowing his gaze at Chuck.

"You still think you do, I won't argue with that."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that strength of the heart is forged through the flames of heartbreak. You're stronger than you think you are, Fergus."

"Sure. Yeah, thanks for the pep talk." Snapped Crowley, moving to walk past him. Chuck set his hand on the king's shoulder and leaned in.

"Just know that your mother was wrong about you. Your sins can be forgiven, Crowley. You just have to forgive yourself first. Also…a son will always have love for his father, even if there is hate atop it. Keep that in mind." Stated Chuck, looking him in the eye. Crowley swallowed hard, the words visibly having an immediate effect on him.

Chuck took his hand away and let Crowley go, the King slowly making his way over to Sam and Dean. Chuck watched them for a few moments, the battlefield outside the church ruins swiftly emptying as angels returned to Heaven and demons returned to Hell.

"Okay, guys. Can you do me a favor? Sam, Dean?" asked Chuck.

"Um…yeah." Stated Sam slowly.

"Take a vacation. I'm serious. Spend at least two weeks doing nothing but laying around. No hunting. You need a break, take a break. If you want to go back to hunting after that, by all means, do so. But take a break. Start thinking about retirement, marriage, all that great stuff. Read a book, go to a baseball game, sleep in, binge on Netflix." Rambled Chuck, sighing when he was done, hoping he got the point across.

"Are you asking us to take a break or are you telling us to take a break?" asked Dean, unable to stop glancing at Crowley who was standing a few feet away. He wanted with everything in him to tug the king into a tight hug but was unsure if he was comfortable doing that in front of other people.

"I'm telling you to take a break."

"I have a place they can stay. I hardly use it anymore." Piped up Crowley, eyes never leaving Dean. He wasn't sure if the knight would punch him for yanking him into a kiss right now.

"We can use the bunker." Blurted Dean in a stubborn tone.

"No, if you use the bunker, you'll be tempted to go hunting." Snapped Crowley, almost grinning, feeling them slip back into their normal banter.

"Don't tell me what to do." Retorted Dean gruffly, biting the insides of his cheeks to refrain from smiling.

"How big's the place?" asked Gabriel, now standing next to Sam.

"Probably too big for you unless you wanted to be the pet cat." Stated Crowley, smirking at Gabriel.

"Very funny, very funny. So, I assume it has its own little doctor's office for when you get STD's?" replied Gabriel, causing Sam to snort a laugh and then try to hide it with a cough.

"No, I administer that medication by myself, midget." Retorted Crowley, still smirking.

"If you two are gonna do this the whole time, I'm gonna stab you both in the face." Blurted Dean, glancing at them both. Chuck shook his head but smiled at them.

"I should tend to Heaven. Goodnight, guys." Said Chuck, vanishing in a blink.

They all stared at the space he'd been standing before Crowley set his hand on Dean, his other hand on Sam, and his foot on Gabriel's. He swiftly vanished them to the living room of one of his large, mansion-like homes.

"Goddammit, Crowley!" snapped Dean, rubbing his head, feeling like he had whiplash.

"Awww, you're so sensitive…" purred Crowley, teasingly stroking the side of Dean's face until the knight slapped his hand away.

"I will choke you out with your own necktie."

"If you're going to get kinky, let's not do so in front of your brother. We don't want to scar him for life." Chuckled Crowley, again making himself refrain from planting his lips on Dean's. The knight rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Yeah, okay, so…I'm gonna find a room as far away from yours as possible." Stated Sam, giving them both a traumatized look before wandering away.

"I'll steer the Moose so his antlers don't scratch any of the paint." Said Gabriel, chuckling and following the large hunter.

"You know they're going to have sex, right?" asked Crowley, stepping right up to Dean to mutter the words. The knight blinked at him.

"What? Sam's not gay or bi."

"And how do you know?"

"I…" Dean trailed off, realizing he actually didn't know. He knew about Sam having had girlfriends but they'd never actually talked about such a thing. Except when Sam was trying to cure him, but that was all about Dean.

"Aha…I'm right again. As always." Crowley smiled at him and walked away to the other side of the room, pouring them both a glass of scotch.

"Oh, shut up. Arrogant dick."

"What's that about my dick? You missed my dick?"

"I miss having duct tape on your mouth and you stuffed in the trunk."

"You want me in your trunk? Dean, don't play so easy to get. At least have a drink before you say things like that." Chuckled Crowley, walking back over and handing him the glass before sighing in relief, gazing at the knight.

"I'm real tempted to punch you right now." Lied Dean, smiling at him as he took a drink. He ached to tug Crowley to him but for some reason, his stubborn attitude made him refrain. He wasn't sure if it was pride, the fear of being seen, or the simple stubbornness of the game they always played with each other.

Crowley took a drink, a long drink, downing his whole glass at once before setting it on the nearest table. His hazel eyes never left Dean, almost as though he was afraid looking away would make the knight vanish. Dean downed all of his drink before setting the glass aside as his brows furrowed, something bothering him.

"You said that what Lucifer was going to do has been a long time coming for you. What'd you mean by that?" asked Dean, all playfulness leaving him. Crowley's expression dropped and he cleared his throat.

"I'm a demon, Dean. Before I was a demon, I was a terrible excuse for a man. There's not much more to it than that." Answered Crowley in a quiet tone.

"You also said I gave you something you've never had. Wanna elaborate?"

"Can we not bring up our pasts? Cause I can tell you now that mine has even more tales of misery than yours. We just…We just survived certain torment that would last for eternity. Can't we just bask in that?" asked Crowley, wanting to avoid talking about his own past as much as he possibly could. Dean could tell and it made him want to pry but he refrained, at least for now.

"Yeah, alright. Fair enough. You alright?" asked Dean, trying to sound nonchalant about it but the expression on his face pure concern and worry.

"Me? I'm not the one who was chained up being a chew toy."

"Yeah, but God literally healed me, He didn't heal you."

"Dean, I'm fine. Can we please take the win and relax now?"

"Yeah. What did Chuck say to you?" asked Dean curiously, brows furrowed. He frowned when Crowley clenched his jaw in irritation at the question.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Alright, fine. Someday we're gonna talk, though. About all this shit. Everything you've been steering this conversation away from." Replied Dean, folding his arms.

Crowley responded by heaving a sigh and stepping over, resting his hands on Dean's arms before reaching and cupping his face.

"Okay. Can you let it go for now, then? Please?" asked Crowley in a quiet, pleading tone, one Dean wasn't used to hearing from him.

From the moment Crowley's hands touched him, it was as though the wall they were both hiding behind after tonight's events began to crumble away. Neither of them feeling like they had to keep the banter going or pretend that they were completely fine. Neither of them feeling the need to continue hiding the raging emotions. Dean leaned in and wrapped his arms around the king, hugging tightly to him, Crowley clinging back in response.

"I could beat the fucking shit out of you for what you pulled tonight, goddammit…" grumbled Dean, pressing his face to Crowley's neck.

"You're not the only one allowed to pull the self-sacrifice card, you bastard." Mumbled Crowley, nuzzling the knight's head gently.

"I really don't think you understand how badly I want to punch you in the face for that." Stated Dean, pulling back to look at him.

"I think we've had enough violence for one night, don't you?" asked Crowley, hand slipping down the side of Dean's face slowly before gripping his jacket and pulling him along into the master bedroom.

"If you ever do that again, I fucking swear, Crowley…I will lock your ass back up in the bunker." Replied Dean, following him in and pulling the door shut behind them.

As soon as the door was shut, Crowley slipped his jacket off and tugged Dean to him, pressing his lips firmly to the knight's. Dean let his own coat slide off and carded his fingers into the king's hair, deepening the kiss in a desperate manner. The floor steadily became littered with clothing. A silk tie, a flannel shirt, fancy trousers, faded jeans. Shoes were kicked across the room, socks flung in the opposite direction.

They kissed and nipped at whatever part of each other's skin that was closest to them. Dean finally moving Crowley back on the bed and settling between his legs as he bit down hard on the king's neck, earning himself a ragged groan and tug on his hair. Crowley's legs moved up and around Dean's waist, locking at the ankles as his hands cupped the knight's face, making their gazes catch.

"I need you to make love to me…" confessed Crowley in a breathless tone, almost looking terrified and vulnerable to say such a thing. Dean leaned in and brushed his lips across Crowley's lightly.

"I love you." Replied the knight in a soft tone, spreading lube along his length before tossing the small bottle away. His tip pushed in slowly, watching Crowley's expressions and hearing the king's breath hitch. One of Crowley's hands slipped into Dean's hair, the other clutching at his back tightly. A low moan rattled its way from the king's throat as his back arched slightly, hips rolling into Dean's.

Dean set the pace, his eyes never leaving Crowley's. They moved slowly, savoring every single moan, hitch of breath, tug of hair, tightening of legs, and muttered profanity. Crowley's fingertips pressed hard enough into Dean's back to bruise the smooth skin while their bodies moved together. The pressure built up as the temperature in the room rose.

Before long, Dean was speeding up the pace, needing the friction. The headboard thwacked against the wall with each thrust as he moved harder and faster. Both of them moaned loud enough to be heard from anywhere in the mansion-like home. Crowley tugged Dean's face to his neck, nipping the knight's jawline as his hips rocked up faster.

"Fuck…Dean…" groaned Crowley just as the knight bit down hard on his neck. He tugged on Dean's hair in response, breath coming out in heavy pants. Dean growled and then moaned loudly from the tug, still moving at that frantic pace, knowing he wasn't going to last much longer.

"Don't stop…I'm … fuck…" stammered out the king, making Dean smirk slightly. He couldn't help it. It wasn't too often that Crowley was rambling senselessly, unable to properly string words together for a decent sentence.

Crowley's grip on Dean's hair and his back tightened suddenly as his hips snapped up against Dean's swiftly and he clamped down around his length, cumming hard and crying out Dean's name. The knight couldn't hold on any longer once he was squeezed, groaning out raggedly as he gave a final thrust and released.

Not giving Dean a chance to even think about moving, Crowley pulled him down to collapse on him. The king's legs relaxed and his arms slipped around Dean, hugging to him. Dean nuzzled his neck as he caught his breath then made a face before pulling back.

"You couldn't have wiped that off your chest first?" asked Dean tiredly, referring to Crowley's release which had landed right on his own chest. The king rolled his eyes and then snapped his fingers, making his mess vanish from both of them.

"Better, diva?" asked Crowley breathlessly, grunting softly when Dean gently pulled out of him.

"Yes, a lot better." Replied Dean, smirking at him before collapsing next to him. Crowley reached down and pulled the blanket up to cover their bodies before curling into Dean and nuzzling his chest.

"I love you. So very much." Mumbled Crowley, slipping an arm around his knight. Dean's arms encircled him and held the king tightly, nuzzling his head.

"Who'd have thought we'd be here some day?" muttered Dean, his eyes already closed.

"Me. I thought about it a lot. But that's a long story for another night." Chuckled Crowley tiredly, closing his eyes and happily breathing in Dean's scent.

"I wanna hear that story tomorrow." Mumbled Dean, chuckling softly.

"Fair enough, darling…" Crowley replied softly, smiling.

****(( Okay, I was originally planning to hop back to Sam and Gabe but honestly, like I've said, Crowley and Dean are the main characters of this story and I felt like this was the perfect way to end the chapter. That was my very first time fully writing out slash smut, I hope you'll forgive me if it wasn't very good. I'll get better as I go. There's going to be a lot more in the future, too. Thank you for reading, please leave me a review on the way out.))****


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